Awning.



Patented May'5,'1-914.

2 SHEETS-SHEETL J. N. CLARKE.

AWNING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1913.

ami/Mucus Patented May 5, 1914,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- l'nuzmtoz J. N. CLARKE.

AWNING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1913.

State of Indiana, have invented certain new the folding laterally-extending articulated or jointed arm type particularly intended arm to the building; second,1a novel joint or articulation connecting the inner and operating withthe outer arm adapted to released or allowed to fall; fourth, a partending the outer arm, said spring means bep v .UNITED STATES PATENT 'JonN N. cmnxn, or EvANsvILLE, INDIANA.

A Specification of hpplication filed June 5, 1913. Serial No. 771,887;

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN N. CLARKE, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Evansville, county of; Vanderburgh, and

and useful Improvements in Awnings, of which the following is a. specification. This invention relates to awnings. My object is to provide in anawning of foruse'on modern plate glass store fronts, first, a novel fixture for pivotally, swingingly and adjustably connecting themner outer arms together; third, spring means coautomatically extend it when the awning is ticular novel spring operating means for exing anchored andhoused within the inner arm; and, fifth, to generally improve the construction of jointed or articulated arm awning fixtures whereby they may be made to fold into compact arrangement across the front of the building and will, when released, automatically fall and extend themselves, subject to all necessary or desirable adjustments of inclination and position.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown and in the following description have set forth, a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrating-the principle and mode of operation thereof, but such disclosure is to be; considered as illustrative and not restrictive of the scope of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :-I igure l is aside elevation showing the invention appl dto a building; Fig. 2, an enlarged vie looking toward one of the complete awningarms when folded; Fig. 3, a plan view showing the awning arms extended, the outer one being broken away and the bracket and track in section; Fig. 4, a detail perspective of the awning arms when extended; Fig. 75, a longitudinal section through the inner arm, and other parts; Fig. (3, a detail perspective of the oint member for. the outer arm; Fig. 7, a section therethrgngh; and 8, adetail perspective of'gtlie joint'member for the inner arm AWNING.

Letters Patent.

. Patented May 5,1914;

the plate glass window orlfstore front at 2, while 3 represents the gaining roll which may be constructed an jinounted on the front 1 in any desiref anner above the awning fixtures WlllClfliEOllStltllte the present invention. The awni ig 4 is provided with a cross bar 5 which ;is received in the loops,

(i-and pivoted at 7 to the ofiset ends 8 of the outer arms 9, such ofisets being provided to v enable the awning arms to. break readily. 6b

fixture 10 having upper and lower arms 11 and 12 and a side arm 13.5v The bracket fixbeing adjustable in the slot of the part 14: by 76 which means the channel track 16 may be v raised or lowered on its pivot 15 to bring-it to different, raised or lowered positions to thereby regulate the position of the outer arms 9 and the, inner arms 20. The inner arms 20 which are tubular, each have a vertically slotted head 21 through, which extends a knuckle 2-2 and which. is pivoted thereto at 23, the'said knuckle haviug reduced ends 24 which are stepped or journaledin the upper and-lower arms 11 and 12. Thearms 20 and 9 are thereby. mounted for lateral swinging and, by virtue i of the pivotal connection afford acerta'in' amount of vertical movement when folding or being extended. To regulate the vertical movement and determine the exact position which the arms 9 and 20 will assume when extended, there is, provided on the head 21 a roller 25 which :is received in the channel track 16' and bears against' both; walls thereof.-- The stops 17 and"'l8.deter-, mine the play of the roller,.the former preventing the arms 9 and 20 when folded," and i the. bar 5, from striking the front 1 of -the building, and the stop 18 limiting the pogsition of the said arms when extended.--

The tubular arm 20 is provided with joint member 26 having ears 27 provided .with shoulders 28. .The outer arm 9 isfheld ina seat 29 on the-inclined bottom 30 there-, of by a pivotal connection 31. The inclination of the bottom 30 causes'the arm 9 to as section.

The front of the building appears at l and l sume an upward slant from its joint with Suitably secured to the front'l is a bracket 1.

ture is provided with a vertically disposed curved slotted part 14. Riveted or other-,7O

the arm 20 outwardly so that the awning is 119 ally oli'set relation to ti 3 clear thereof, the arrangement being such that the arm 9 may rock up and down on the said pivotal connection 31. The seat 2%) is connected by a neck 32 to a connector head 33 which is provided with keyhole slots ill; on opposite sides thereof and is located between the cars 27, a pivot 35 joining the seat 29 and connector head 33 to the ears 2?, whereby the arm 3, the seat 25) and the connector head can all turn in relation to the arm 20. The keyhole slots Eli are ln'o ided on opposite sides of the connector hea l and the shoulders are provided on both of the ears QTso that the parts may be reversed, according to the condit ons of installalimi.

Contained within the tubular arm :(3 a coil spring So which connected atv 3? to said arm. To the other end ol" the spring is connected a chain or other suitable flexible connection 38 which passed into one or the other of the keyhole slots il. to secure. it to the connector head This is done while the spring is under considerable tension so that the tension of the sprine' normally tends to hold the arm 9 extcnthx. relation to the arm 20. but said arm 5) is d sposed in laterarm 20 to prevent the arms getting on. a dead center and to fatcilitate breaking of the joint when they are folded, as when the awning is rolled up.

So far as I am aware, I am the first to provide spring means of any character whatsoever for extending a laterally movable outer arm, as distinguished from any means for extending the system of anus and, further, I believe myself to be the original inventor of a coil spring extending lengthwise of one. of the arms and coiiperating with the other arm to act on the arms at their joint for the purpose of extending the outer arm in relation to the inner arm. I am aware that other means could be provided, cooperating With the joint between the arms, for extending the outer arm and I do not, therefore, limitmyself, except where expressed in the claims, to the particular spring means employed for this purpose.

hen the awning is rolled up, as shown in Fig. 2, the sets of arms 9 and 20 oil which there may be two or more for any awning, are folded and lie in front of the building, above the store front, being there rotained by any suitable means cooperating with the awning roller or with the arms themselves. When released, the graviial action of the arms 9 and '20 causes them to swing outwardly and the spring mochanisi'n cooperating with the outer arms 9 throws them positively into extended ctmditioznthus insuring that the awning be properly taut andv preventing any sagging thereof.

the provision of the spring n'iech-anism, l on viate a defect incident to these articulated arm awnings which depend on gravity action alone and where-m the outer arms, due

to the weight of the awning fabric, often do not assume a fully extended position.

When the awning roll is wound up, the awning litraclret pulling upon the bar 5, causes the arms 9 and 20 to fold 1.111 .l.,'.11l:1tll the awning and during such :toldi'ng action, the spring mechanisn'i cooperating with the tially parallel to said awning arm and cooperating! therewith which is adapted to extend the outer arm section.

2. An arm for awnings, consisting of inner and outer arm sections jointed together, and a coil spring contained. within and extending longitudinally of the inner arm scction and having a flexible connection with the outer arm section and adapted to extend said outer arm section.

3. in an awning arm, the combination with inne and outer arm s actions, of a joint C(UillQC-tlllQ them consisting of cars and a connector head received between and pivoted to said ears, and spring means cooperating with the connector head adapted to extend the outer arm section.

4. In an awning arm, the. combination with inner and outer arm sections, of a joint connecting them consisting of cars and a connector head received between and pivoted to said cars, a coil spring extending hang'thwise and connected to the arm, and a flexible connection attached to said coil spring and engaged with said connector head.

5. An awning arm having, in combination, inner and outer arm sections,a joint consisting of cars connected to one of said sections, a. seat connected to the other of said sections, a connector head located be tween. and pivoted to the ears, and a neck tween and pivoted to the cars, a neck joining the connector head and seat, said neck being: adapted for free movement in one direction and to abut one of the ears when moved in the other direction to thereby deto swing therewith, and a track cooperating with the awning arm.

9. The combination With an awning bracket, of an adjustable track attached thereto, and an awning arm swingingly mounted on said bracket and cooperating with said track.

10. The combination with an awning bracket, of an upright knuckle pivoted thereto, an awning arm pivoted -to the knuckle, and a trackat one end and adjustably connected at lts other end to said bracket, said arm coiiperating with said track.

11. The combination with an awning bracket having an upright slotted part, of a channel track having an adjustable connection with said upright slotted part and pivoted to the bracket at another part, an awning arm provided with a head and having a roller cooperating} with the channel track,-

and a knuckle passing through the head'and pivoted I thereto and also pivoted to the bracket.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature in'presence of two witnesses.

JOHN N. CLARKE. \Vitnesses: F. C. GORE,

A. C. HAWKINS. 

